Who knows if writers actually go out of their way to create
a “scene stealing” character? I mean, surely we want audiences to be invested
in all of our characters in some way,
let alone the story itself? Nevertheless, there are sometimes movies and TV
shows you walk away from thinking “wowsers, that one character was gosh darn incredible.
I wish I could (*DELETE WHERE APPROPRIATE*) be them / be with them / know them
/ lick them”. In celebration of these breath-take-away-ers, here’s a completely
objective list of my Top 10 Scene Stealers (adaptation characters are allowed,
as long as their first on-screen appearance was in 2014, and they aren’t already
the main character. Why? Because reasons). Spoilers have been avoided...
10) Mr. Meeseeks (Rick and Morty)
Do yourself a favour – watch Rick and Morty if you haven’t already. While the titular leads are
both inventive and brilliantly crafted (yet still rough around the edges), it
was the episode “Meeseeks and Destroy” (aired in January 2014) that introduced
us to this... blue thing. Pressing a button on the Meeseeks box makes this thing pop
into existence with the sole purpose of helping you with a task – it helps teenaged
Summer become more popular and mother Beth feel like a more complete woman.
However, a simple request to take two strokes of father Jerry’s golf game
drives Mr. Meeseeks slowly insane, building an army of shrill voiced, blue
creatures desperately questioning their purpose in life. It’s hilariously
compelling.
9) Gareth (The Walking Dead)
With the Walkers becoming an increasing “inconvenience”
rather than a palpable threat to the survivors on TWD, the show does a good job of showing how other people can be
the real enemy. No truer example exists
than the introduction of Gareth this year (appearing in the finale of Season 4
and recurring in Season 5). After witnessing the rise and fall (and rise again) of
the Governor, a good man slowly pushed to dictatorial insanity, it’s almost
refreshing to see someone embrace the dark nature of their situation and still
be so damn collected about it. In fact, considering the terrible things that
Gareth and those at “Terminus” have been doing so casually, it’s a pretty
unsettling look at what constitutes contentment in a zombie apocalypse.
8) Vee (Orange Is The New Black)
Things were by no means peachy in Litchfield Penitentiary
throughout Season 1 of OITNB, but
they almost look like a cakewalk compared to Vee’s power-play in Season 2. As
the focus increasingly shifts off Piper and onto the other inmates, Vee
presents a new maternal figure in the prison, with a cagey history with the old
top momma, Red. On the surface, Vee cares for Taystee and gives others like
Crazy Eyes the respect they’ve been missing for so long, but it’s not long
before Vee’s ruthless streak starts destroying long term friendships and the
infrastructure of the inmates have come to rely on. Coupled with a backstory
that’s increasingly intriguing as the season unfolds, Vee is unpredictable,
manipulative and terrific fun to watch.
7) Batman (The Lego Movie)
Batman as a supporting character?! Get used to it. The Lego Movie is a joyously executed,
infinitely loveable and hilariously quotable family movie that cheekily pokes
fun at many blockbuster staples we’ve come to know over the last few decades. The
brilliance of Batman’s portrayal in the film (voiced by the amazing Will
Arnett) is that he’s a constant reminder of just how silly we know the concept
of Batman to be, yet still cool and an integral part of the story. No punches
are pulled, as Bat-puns are flung left and right, his propensity for constant
brooding is put into song and his ability to do badass things off camera and
then appear out of nowhere are repeatedly lampshaded. The best part? He’s
getting a spin-off in 2017...
6) Lorne Malvo (Fargo)
“There are no saints in the animal kingdom. Only breakfast
and dinner”. As a hitman with pretty much no moral values, Malvo is one
unpredictable cookie. Some may argue he was the main character of Fargo’s first anthology season, but I’d
maintain that Deputy Solverson or Lester Nygaard hold that particular title.
Lorne Malvo is simply a force of nature, moving from place to place and leaving
chaos in his wake. He’ll kill just to prove a point, assume false identities
for months on end and perpetually remain one step ahead of everybody who tracks
him. At the same time, Malvo manages to be bizarrely endearing, often pointing
out the silly inconsistencies of life and posing intriguing animal kingdom
analogies.
5) Captain Holt (Brooklyn Nine Nine)
Captain Holt deserves some sort of medal (well, another
medal) for being the most stoic, straight-faced police chief in television
history. In a show full of heightened characters and lovable misfits, Holt is
the glue that holds them all together, and somehow manages to be just as funny,
if not more, than everyone else. It’s deadpan humour played to such a
unbeatably straight degree that it becomes more ridiculous than the
“ridiculous” characters. Just as importantly though, Holt is a character who we
genuinely care about. He’s struggled with being an openly gay policeman for
years (making his “straight man” role all more unique) and often acts as the
caring mentor to those in his department, even if his face doesn’t show it.
4) Groot (Guardians Of The Galaxy)
I think we can all agree that Guardians Of The Galaxy was pretty terrific. Even if the story was
nothing to rave about, it did a great job of crafting endearing, original
characters based on the peculiar source material. So how do you make a giant,
tree-alien who only utters 3 (ish) words throughout the entire movie likeable? By
giving him innocence. Despite being involved with less than favourable outlaws,
particularly partner in crime Rocket Racoon, Groot approaches situations with a
unique child-like curiosity and, more importantly, a smile on his face. He
reminds the jaded characters around him that the galaxy they’re fighting for
can be a thing of beauty. His actions definitely speak louder
than words... Except for when he’s kicking ass. That gets pretty loud.
3) Rosalyn Rosenfeld
(American Hustle)
In a film about con artists and betrayal, it’s refreshing to
see the typical “wife” character portrayed a scenery-chewing, pathologically
unstable mess. In fact, while Christian Bale’s Irving Rosenfeld takes on
increasingly ambitious cons, the thing he’s ultimately afraid of is the woman
he’s married to keeping his adopted son from him. She’s not a victim by any
stretch – she’s in control, despite being almost useless around the house. Let’s
not forget the crowd-pleasing material that the perpetually hilarious Jennifer
Lawrence makes her own, with microwave fires, biting monologues and a rendition
of “Live and Let Die” being among the film’s highlights. She has the least
screen time of any of the lead characters, but ultimately leaves the biggest
impression – the mark of a true scene stealer.
2) Quicksilver (X-Men: Days Of Future Past)
To all those who wrote off Quicksilver when his “outfit” was
revealed – Oh, ye of little faith. X-Men movies always have the difficult job
of balancing a large cast, and this particular instalment had almost double due
to a blending of the two timelines. So it’s particularly remarkable when one
new character not only stands out from a performance point of view, but also
for being a part of what many would say is the most visually stunning /
hilarious sequences in cinema this year. As an old colleague of Wolverine’s
(now that’s an origin story I want to see), Peter Maximoff is a kleptomaniac
speedster with an unquenchable thirst for mischief. Sadly, the film literally
had to leave him behind because he was simply too awesome, and, y’know, they
had a story to get on with telling.
1) Oberyn Martell (Game of Thrones)
There’s a number of characters who you could call a “badass”
in Westeros – Bronn, the Hound, Arya, Tyrion, Hodor... But now the word “badass”
has been redefined. This guy, this Prince,
just waltzes into King’s Landing to represent his brother, Prince Doran, at the
royal wedding, and, less than secretly, seek revenge on the Mountain for the
terrible things he did to the Martell family. Everything he does from that
point on is just impossibly cool. Refusing to stand for Tywin on the small
council, his insatiable, yet pragmatic, sexual appetite, his quiet rage while “The
Rains of Castamere” are sung in his presence, even just the way he moves
through a room, all culminating in standing for Tyrion in a trial by combat
against the Mountain. A boy what a fight it is...
Agree with my picks? Feel like someone has been missed out?
I don’t have time to watch everything ever, so that’s very likely... Let me
know in the comments below, and before long we will have an encyclopaedic
account of hundreds of 2014 Scene Stealers.
James Cottle, after
studying Scriptwriting for 4 years, is now an embittered real life freelance
writer, and seeks to unlearn everything he knows. But he needs your help...
Follow him on Twitter @Jxmxsc and share this blog to help spread his anarchic
plight for reform amongst the writing masses.
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